For travelers, the "American Plan" has long constituted the type of meal package you were offered with your hotel stay -- breakfast, lunch and dinner would be included. However, among workers in the roaring twenties, it came to describe employers' policies of not negotiating with unions.

On the surface of David Grindley's somewhat lumbering revival of The American Plan, the Catskills getaway for Eva Adler (Mercedes Ruehl) and her flighty daughter Lili (Lily Rabe) would seem to suggest the former meaning. Yet, there's something inherently non-negotiable in this American Plan. When the dashing Nick Lockridge (Kieran Campion) comes across the lake and steals young Lili's heart, Eva's suspicions ultimately leave little room for negotiation in her attempts to protect her daughter from emotional heartbreak.

The real heartbreak is that Lili yearns for nothing more than to escape the clutches of her overprotective mother, a Jewish survivor of Nazi Germany. Greenberg reveals plenty of surprises -- including a particular blend of oppression, self-suppression and self-preservation not atypical for its early sixties timeframe -- which only adds further emotional depth and complexity to his story.

Despite Jonathan Fensom's endlessly revolving stage design, which at times threatens to spin Grindley's direction into tedium, the sparkling performances are enough to make this a very sound and worthy Plan.

Broadway's 2010-11 Theatrical Season

About Me

As someone who has been involved in both politics and public relations, it's no wonder I love watching theatre. Good or bad, it's the raw energy of seeing a live performance that gets my adrenaline pumping. From the moment I saw my very first Broadway show ("Annie" in London in 1979), I was hooked. Now I see as many as 70 shows each year ranging from soaring musicals to two-hander plays. And these eyes just may be in an audience near you!